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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25415968">A Slow Simmer</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laylah/pseuds/Laylah'>Laylah</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M, Manga Canon, Post-Canon, cooking together</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:33:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>750</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25415968</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laylah/pseuds/Laylah</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"I finished up with Camio's thing early, so I thought I'd pop in and surprise you."</p><p>"With dinner?" William says incredulously.</p><p>Dantalion flashes him a smile. "You weren't about to cook for yourself, were you?"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dantalion/William Twining</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Eat Drink and Make Merry 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Slow Simmer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Welsper/gifts">Welsper</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's already dark when William gets home, hurrying up the Oxbridge street to the townhouse he let for his university years. He hadn't meant to stay at the library so late, but it really is the best place to get work done, and if he wants his paper on rationalism undermining monarchy to be the best in the class, well—he can't afford to do these things halfway. Besides, it's Kevin's night off, so he shouldn't be disrupting any dinner plans; probably he'll just find something in the icebox to make sandwiches with and that'll be fine.</p><p>But when he opens the front door, he can smell something cooking, and there's light coming from the kitchen. "Kevin?"</p><p>"Welcome home," calls a voice from the kitchen that is decidedly not Kevin's.</p><p>William drops his schoolbag and dashes through the darkened front room to the kitchen doorway. "You're back!" </p><p>Dantalion is standing in his kitchen, wearing an absurd frilly apron over his sharp black suit, shirtsleeves rolled up as he stirs something in a pot on the stove. "I finished up with Camio's thing early, so I thought I'd pop in and surprise you."</p><p>"With dinner?" William says incredulously.</p><p>Dantalion flashes him a smile. "You weren't about to cook for yourself, were you?"</p><p>"No," William admits. He comes over to the stove as Dantalion ladles broth out of a second pot to pour into the one he's stirring. "What is that, anyway?" It smells good, a bit like wine and a bit like something more savory. </p><p>"Risotto," Dantalion says, putting the ladle back in the second pot and draping that arm over William's shoulders instead. He's entirely too casual about it, too familiar, but William doesn't protest. They've earned a little of this, haven't they? After everything they went through, and as long as William doesn't let himself rest on his laurels too much. Things might have been straightened out in heaven and hell, but that still leaves earth to deal with, and he'll never fix up earth if he doesn't stay focused. But still, just a little relaxing, a little time for each other...</p><p>"Smells good," he says, leaning into Dantalion's side. He wants to be annoyed that Dantalion is taller enough for William to tuck neatly under his arm, but it's honestly pretty comfortable. "I thought cooking was more Camio's hobby."</p><p>"Mmmn, he'd probably have some ideas for making it more interesting," Dantalion says, still stirring the pot slowly. "But I've learned a few things here and there. Risotto seemed like a nice way to warm up after a walk home in the cold."</p><p>William snakes an arm around Dantalion's waist and squeezes. "It does," he agrees. Though really, holding onto Dantalion is a good way to warm up too. He stands there for a minute and breathes in the scents of wine and onions and broth. Dantalion keeps stirring as he presses a kiss to the crown of William's head. It's a comfortable moment.</p><p>"Do you want to help me with this?"</p><p>"Why would I do that?" William asks. He's never been interested in cooking before, and this was Dantalion's idea to begin with.</p><p>Dantalion's arm around him tightens for a second. "So that I don't have to let go."</p><p>"...What do you need?" That's a compelling argument, comparatively.</p><p>"Just add another ladleful of broth to the pot, would you? I need to keep stirring to make sure all the grains cook evenly."</p><p>That's easy enough. William ladles out the broth, pouring it slowly into the pot of rice so it won't splash. The steam rising from the pot smells wonderful, and true to his word Dantalion doesn't let go.</p><p>"How long do you have to keep that up, then?" William asks as he puts the ladle back and leans into Dantalion again. The smell is making him hungry but there's a lot of broth left in the second pot.</p><p>"You have to keep it at a slow simmer until all the liquid is absorbed," Dantalion says. His hand trails up from William's shoulder to gently knead the muscles of his neck. "Probably another twenty minutes or so."</p><p>William's stomach growls. "That's a long time to stand here waiting."</p><p>"Mmm. I've waited longer for things."</p><p>William looks up at him. Dantalion has a faint, fond little smile on his lips. "You have, haven't you." He stretches up and Dantalion leans down to meet him for a sweet, lingering kiss.</p><p>Waiting here for another twenty minutes doesn't sound so bad.</p>
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